Description

How has the United Nations dealt with the question of terrorism before and after September 11? What does it mean that the UN itself has become a target of terrorism? Terrorism and the UN analyzes how the UN’s role in dealing with terrorism has been shaped over the years by the international system, and how events such as September 11 and the American intervention in Iraq have reoriented its approach to terrorism. The first half of the book addresses the international context. Chapters in this part consider the impact of September 11 on the UN’s concern for the rights and security of states relative to those of individuals, as well as the changing attitudes of various Western powers toward multilateral vs. unilateral approaches to international problems.

The second half of the book focuses more closely on the UN, its values, mechanisms, and history and its future role in preventing and reacting to terrorism. The Security Council’s position on and reactions to terrorist activities are contrasted with the General Assembly’s approach to these issues. What role the UN might play in suppressing the political economy of terrorism is considered. A concluding chapter looks at broader, more proactive strategies for addressing the root causes of terrorism, with an emphasis on social justice as a key to conflict prevention, a primary concern of the UN, particularly the General Assembly, before September 11.

Author Bio

Jane Boulden is MacArthur Research Fellow at the Centre for International Studies, University of Oxford. She resides in Oxford, England.

Thomas G. Weiss is Presidential Professor at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and Director of the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, where he is also co-director of the United Nations Intellectual History Project. He resides in New York City.

Reviews

“This essential volume explores how the United Nations has dealt with the question of terrorism and what it means that the UN itself has become a target of terrorism. It analyzes how the UN's role in dealing with terrorism has been shaped over the years by the international system, and how events such as September 11 and the American intervention in Iraq have reoriented its approach to terrorism.
"The editors of this book are veteran academics and practitioners in international organizations who have assembled a talented group of international authors with similar experiences to look at the issues linking terrorism and the United Nations in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. . . . Excellent for historical background . . . Highly recommended." — Choice ”

Customer Reviews

Table of Contents

1. Whither Terrorism and the United Nations?Jane Boulden and Thomas G. Weiss2. Charter Values and the Response to Terrorism S. Neil MacFarlane

The "New" International Arena

3. September 11th and Challenges to International LawNico Schrijver4. The U.S., Counter-Terrorism, and the Prospects for a Multilateral AlternativeEdward C. Luck5. Improving the International Response to the Transnational Terrorist ThreatKarin von Hippel6. The Inherent Difficulties of Inter-institutional Cooperation in Fighting TerrorismThierry Tardy

The World Organization Responds to Terrorism

7. The Role of the Security CouncilChantal de Jonge Oudraat 8. Using the General Assembly M. J. Peterson9. Pulling the Plug: The Political Economy of TerrorismMónica Serrano10. The Root Causes of Terrorism and Conflict PreventionRama Mani